Azure Backup for Complete BCDR

Azure backup is the process of creating and storing backup copies of Microsoft Azure cloud data so that it may be restored in the event of data loss or corruption. Servers hosted in Azure Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) can be protected at the file and folder level, virtual machine level and with application-specific backups (i.e., SQL). This functionality enables organizations to protect their critical Azure data in a way that best suits their needs.

Microsoft Azure follows the shared responsibility model (SRM), a cloud security framework that outlines the responsibilities of service providers and customers. Under this model, the service provider and its customers share the responsibility of securing the platform and everything in it. As such, Microsoft is responsible for the security of the cloud platform and its infrastructure, such as hardware, networks and services. On the other hand, customers are responsible for protecting their data and other assets stored in Azure.

Customers maintain varying degrees of responsibility over applications, networking, accounts, etc., depending on the workload deployment types — Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) or an on-premises data center. However, regardless of the deployment type, you always have certain responsibilities as a customer, including data, endpoint, account and access management.

Azure backup with Unitrends works by installing an agent on the virtual machines within Azure that you wish to protect. The agent facilitates hourly replication to the Unitrends Cloud, where data is stored immutably in a private and secure Unitrends data center. Automatic, daily screenshot verification certifies backups as healthy and recoverable. This solution minimizes single-cloud risk by providing rapid recovery and instant virtualization in the Unitrends Cloud in the event of downtime, cyberattack or other cloud outages.

All Azure backup data stored in the Unitrends Cloud is protected with AES 256-bit encryption. Whether in-flight or at-rest, all data is encrypted to ensure its security and integrity so that it is ready and available when you need it.

Azure backups in the Unitrends Cloud are stored on immutable blocks. No external source can modify or delete backups stored in the cloud. In addition, Cloud Deletion Defense offers another layer of protection to safeguard your data. Should an agent or backup be mistakenly or maliciously deleted from your management portal, Cloud Deletion Defense acts like a recycle bin in the cloud. This feature provides a window of time during which you can recover the data with the help of our cloud support team.

Azure backup from Unitrends is priced based on the managed disk capacity of your protected VMs (in 500GB increments) and the desired retention period (e.g., 1 year, 7 years or infinite). There are no additional charges for backup storage, replication to the Unitrends Cloud (egress), restores, screenshot verification, DR testing or DR failover into the Unitrends Cloud.

Unitrends Backup for Microsoft Azure stores a backup on a private tenant within the same Azure region as your production machines. A backup copy is also replicated to the secure, private Unitrends Cloud. Replication to the Unitrends Cloud provides data center redundancy within the same region as your Azure tenant for data sovereignty.